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Dangerous fungus is becoming more prevalent. Scientists believe climate change could be to blame

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — In 2016, hospitals in New York state identified a rare and dangerous fungal infection never before found in the United States. Research laboratories quickly mobilized to review historical specimens and found the fungus had been present in the country since at least 2013. In the years since, New York City has emerged as ground zero for Candida auris infections. And until 2021, the state recorded the most confirmed cases in the country year after year, even as the illness has spread to other places, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data analyzed by The Associated Press.Candida auris is a globally emerging public health threat that can cause severe illness, including bloodstream, wound and respiratory infections. In a small group of patients in the United States, its mortality rate was estimated at 30% to 60%, according to the CDC, and many of those patients had other underlying conditions. Candida auris is a particular risk in healthcare set...

California mountain and desert towns dig out of the mud from 1st tropical storm in 84 years

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (AP) — Crews in mountain and desert towns worked to clear away mud and debris Tuesday in the aftermath of the first tropical storm to hit Southern California in 84 years.The system was dissipating as it moved over the Rocky Mountains.Hilary dumped record rainfall over California’s deserts, including in the stark Death Valley that experienced its single-rainiest day on record on Sunday. As Hilary moved northeast into the neighboring state of Nevada, flooding was reported, power was out and a boil-water order was issued for about 400 households in the Mount Charleston area, where the only road in and out was washed out. The area is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of Las Vegas.Hilary first slammed into Mexico’s arid Baja California Peninsula as a hurricane, causing one death and widespread flooding before becoming a tropical storm. So far, no deaths, serious injuries or extreme damages have been reported in California, though officials warned that risks...

Large explosion in Prince George, B.C., sends two to hospital: B.C. Health Services

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — Authorities in northern British Columbia say they are searching for a cause of a large explosion at an abandoned building in downtown Prince George that sent two people to hospital.Prince George RCMP say the blast happened around 7 a.m., and power to the area was shut down.  Video footage of the aftermath posted online shows thick black smoke pluming into the air as firefighters doused the flames.Police spokeswoman Cpl. Jennifer Cooper says one of the people sent to hospital has serious injuriesPolice originally sent the blast sent three people to hospital, but B.C. Emergency Health Services later revised the figure down to two.Fortis and BC Hydro are at the scene to try to help firefighters contain the blaze and aid in the investigation. Police are asking people to avoid the area. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2023.The Canadian Press

MacKenzie Scott gave 24 nonprofits $146 million in the first half of 2023

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

MacKenzie Scott’s quest to give the bulk of her wealth to charity continues.So far this year, 24 nonprofits have announced they’ve received unrestricted donations from Scott through her Yield Giving fund, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally. The gifts total $146 million and range from $1 million to $15 million. Nearly half went to charities focused on early-childhood education and early-childhood development. Scott has now given more than $14.1 billion to at least 1,621 charities since 2020.To encourage people to focus on the charities rather than on her, Scott has stopped announcing her donations as she had in the past. Now she leaves it up to the charities to decide whether to publicize her gifts. Given the scale of her giving in previous years, it is likely the 24 announced contributions represent only a portion of what she has actually donated so far this year.Charity leaders say they appreciate Scott’s decision to let nonprofits choose whether to publicize the gifts ...

Jailed Sam Bankman-Fried can’t prepare for trial without vegan diet and adequate meds, lawyers say

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried can’t adequately prepare for trial in six weeks while in jail without proper access to computers, necessary medications to help him concentrate, and a better diet than bread, water and peanut butter, his lawyers told a magistrate judge Tuesday.The lawyers made their complaints at a Manhattan federal court hearing after Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty to seven charges he’ll face at his Oct. 3 trial, including wire fraud and multiple conspiracy counts.Bankman-Fried was extradited from the Bahamas in December after prosecutors said he stole billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits, spending tens of millions on his businesses, speculative venture investments, charitable donations and on illegal campaign contributions aimed at influencing cryptocurrency regulation in Washington.The 31-year-old California man was making his first court appearance in a drab beige prison uniform since his $250 million bail was revoked 10 days ago by J...

Spotless arrival: Rare giraffe without coat pattern is born at Tennessee zoo

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

A giraffe without spots at a Tennessee zoo may be plain, but she’s definitely not ordinary.The female reticulated giraffe was born July 31 at the family-owned Brights Zoo in Limestone, a rural community in northeastern Tennessee.David Bright, one of the zoo’s owners, said the plain brown animal is a rarity: Research found another giraffe that was born without a pattern in Tokyo in 1972 and two others before that. The spots serve as camouflage for giraffes in the wild.The yet-unnamed baby is healthy and on display at the 103-acre zoo along with her mother, he said.The zoo took the unusual step of posting about the giraffe on its Facebook page in an effort to help conservation efforts, Bright said.“We generally do not post really any babies in the zoo but with this being such a unique situation, we knew that it would bring a lot of attention to giraffes, which would help us point people in the right direction of ‘hey, here’s how you can help giraffes in the wil...

Stock market today: Wall Street edges lower a day after a rare climb for August

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is edging lower Tuesday ahead of a couple potentially market-shaking events later in the week.The S&P 500 was 0.3% lower in afternoon trading, coming off a rare August gain that was powered by Big Tech stocks Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 178 points, or 0.5%, at 34,263, as of 1:22 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was less than 0.1% higher.Stocks have struggled this month as yields have shot upward in the bond market, which cranks up the pressure on other investments. The yield on the 10-year Treasury drifted up and down Tuesday, a day after reaching its highest level since 2007.Nvidia, one of Wall Street’s most influential stocks, swung from an early gain to a loss of 3% ahead of its earnings report on Wednesday, one that could be pivotal for the stock market. The chipmaker has been at the center of Wall Street’s frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology, which investors believe will create immense profits f...

Conditions are too dangerous to recover bodies of 2 men killed in Alaska plane crash, officials say

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE, Alaska (AP) — Recovering the bodies of two men killed earlier this month in a plane crash in a ravine cannot be performed safely, officials at Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve said.“If and when environmental conditions change, such as lower water volume or a frozen river allows access on foot, we will consider a recovery at that time,” Denali’s Chief Ranger Jordan Neumann said in a statement Monday.Pilot Jason Tucker, 45, of Wasilla and passenger Nicolas Blace, 44, of Chugiak, are presumed to have died when their PA-18 aircraft crashed in a tributary of the West Fork of the Yenta River, located in the southwest preserve of the national park.The Alaska Air National Guard Rescue Coordination Center was informed of an overdue aircraft Aug. 9, but poor weather forced the initial search flight to turn around that evening.The following morning, a guard aircraft found the wreckage of the plane, which came to rest at the bottom of a narrow, steep...

IBM is selling The Weather Company assets to private equity firm Francisco Partners

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — IBM is selling assets of The Weather Company — including Weather.com and The Weather Channel mobile app — to private equity firm Francisco Partners.The two companies announced the deal Tuesday that also includes The Weather Company’s forecasting science and technology platform and other digital properties. They did not disclose its price.IBM agreed to buy The Weather Channel mobile app along with the digital assets of The Weather Company in 2015 for $2 billion — but did not acquire The Weather Channel seen on TV. Allen Media Group has owned the Weather Group, which includes The Weather Channel television network, since 2018.IBM will still retain its sustainability software business, including the Environmental Intelligence Suite. The Armonk, New York-based tech company said it also plans to still use The Weather Company’s weather data for this technology.According to Tuesday’s announcement, The Weather Company reaches an average of more than 415 million people each m...

Stricter bail a ‘balancing act’ with overrepresented groups: police chiefs

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 13:45:24 GMT

OTTAWA — The leader of Canada’s police chiefs says it’s a balancing act to toughen up the bail system without the risk of more people of colour ending up behind bars.Danny Smyth, president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, made the comments today after meeting other chiefs to discuss opportunities for more immigrants to become officers.His comments come as the federal Liberal cabinet meets ahead of Parliament’s return next month, when housing, immigration and bail reform are expected to top the government agenda. Following a spate of high-profile violent crimes — including fatal shootings of officers — the police chiefs were among the voices calling on Ottawa to reform the bail system to make it harder for certain accused people to return to the community.Criminal justice experts say Black and Indigenous people are already overrepresented in the system and have difficulty getting bail as it is.Smyth says while reforming the bail system is a “ba...